


Pretending.

by Wosomess



Category: The Wilds (TV 2020)
Genre: AU, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Marth's wedding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28831635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wosomess/pseuds/Wosomess
Summary: Martha is getting married and Toni has no date to go with but doesn't want to go alone and thrid wheel Fatin and Leah so her friends come up with a solution. Kind of.
Relationships: Fatin Jadmani & Leah Rilke, Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe
Comments: 7
Kudos: 165





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone this is the first fic I post about the wilds so I really hope you like it. I apologized for any mistake and thanks for reading!

When Martha was younger, she worried a lot about guys and dating, she even felt a bit insecure about it, having everyone around her dating and having sex and she still being a virgin 17 years old. Her best friend always told her that it wasn't important that she was an amazing person and deserved someone as good as her, but it was easy to say that when she was out and about dating whoever she wanted, she kind of felt a bit envious of her friend. But then Martha went to college and met Marcus, a marine biology student, who was sweet, caring, funny and much more mature than boys his aged. They dated throughout all the college years, moved in together after and now were getting married.

Now Toni was jealous. She loved Marty and was beyond happy for her, Marcus was a good guy, and they were, even if she wouldn't say it out loud, a really cute couple. On the other hand, she hasn't had a serious relationship for more than a year and a half now. Reagan was funny and knew how to treat her in the right way, but she wanted to settle down, get marry and have kids it just wasn't want Toni wanted in that moment. But she wasn't alone, she had Marty, and Fatin (how after trying L.A decide it to quit for N.Y) and her dorky girlfriend Leah, and her co-workers from the photograph agency. She also had Shelby, a Texan girl she has shared apartment with, because living in New York is fucking expensive, when she first moved to the city. They no longer live together because work was going fine, and she could afford her own apartment but the were still friends. With Shelby being a fashion student, they have help each other with work projects for a couple of years. It's funny how they basically hated each other in the beginning, the Texan girl being really religious and Toni quite de opposite.

"Ugh I don't wanna go and you can't make me" Toni groan while pointing her friends.

"Get your head out of your ass is your bff wedding, of course you're fucking going" Fatin told her from where she was in the couch cuddle with Leah.

" I just hate it when everyone looks at me with pity and go like aw, I'm sure you will find someone soon. Or worse, ask about Reagan. I hate people."

"The find a date to go with" Leah says.

"You are so smart baby" Fatin says before kissing her "Problem solved."

"Right, how haven't I thought about it before? Because that it soo easy"

"Chill dude just take anyone, I would go with you" Her friend told her.

" Fatin, think with your head, the only people I actually trust enough to take to my best friend wedding are basically in this room and you two are invited and an actual fucking couple" Toni said clearly bother by her friend stupid idea.

"How about Shelb?" Leah proposes.

"YES! She is perfect, Marty knows her but not that much, you have known her for long enough to not be weird, she totally loves this kind of things plus she is like super hot, totally your type."

Toni stopped for a second, it was true, all of it, but at the same time it didn't felt right to ask Shelby for that kind of favor, with her religious beliefs and everything.

"It can't be. Shelby doesn't lie, she does Jesus and marriage is sacred for her, she wouldn't take it as a joke"

"I get it Toni but come on, the girl isn't a saint either, she lies to her family who still somehow think she is straight" Fatin said.

"Look you can just ask her, if she says no then Fatin and I will make you our girlfriend, the more the merrier" Leah joked getting up and kissing her cheeks repeatedly.

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She slept on the idea a couple nights and then invited Shelby for dinner one night to ask her, totally prepare for the 'no'. The girl was on her couch with her shoes, some nike air force shadow pretty used, making herself comfortable, her glass of wine in the coffee table.

"You know what? Marty is getting married, Marcus finally asked her" Toni said subtlety.

"That's great, you must be thrilled" Shelby sounded really excited.

"Not really, I mean I'm happy for her girl deserved it, but not really looking forward all those love live questions that I'll be getting."

"Yeah, I get it, that really sucks, why do people care so much? "

"Because they hate their life and want to know that everyone else is miserable too?" Toni half joked.

"Yeah, maybe" They stood in silence, Toni sipping her wine trying to find they way to say it.

"Shelbs can I ask you a favor? Like a personal one." Toni said really soft which definitely alarmed the girl because she sat up immediately.

"I don't have anyone to take as a date to the wedding, as you know, and it will be hell being there alone, Fatin and Leah kind of propose making their relationship a triple which I have no intend of accepting but I don't have really much options and Marty would hate me if I don't go to her wedding which if I go alone I'll probably ruined because of I fight I would start after getting the same question all over again…" Toni rumble.

"Just say it Toni."

"Would you be my date?" Toni said but quickly back off after seeing the fear on Shelby's face "Like a fake one I say, is a weekend I will pay for everything and even take some photos for you if you want, is nothing too fancy, just by best friend wedding." She internally face-palmed herself after saying that last part.

"Like pretend to be dating?"

"Yeah we obviously don't have to kiss or anything, just, you know, love all cute and in love like Leah and Fatin."

"They barely can keep their hands of each other because they are in love Toni. Look this isn't me not wanting to help you, okay? But I have pretended to be in love and do a bunch of things people thought I like just to fit on what my parents wanted me to be, and I promised myself I was done with that when I moved here." Shelby explained. Toni get it, she totally did.

Even though she had never meet anyone from Shelby's family and the girl didn't talk much about them she knew about all the pressure she had while growing up to be what their folks want her to be. She had witness Shelby blossom, be free, experiment, discover herself, have fun, get drunk and now she was asking her to go back to pretend to be someone she was not.

"Shit I'm really sorry Shelb. It's fine really, I'll go with 'Laetin' they will know how to handle me" she joked hoping that would make Shelby feel better.

" Come here " she told the girl before wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug which Shelby reciprocated.

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Shelby went home feeling weird. Part of her though she did the right thing, putting herself and her wellbeing first but in the other hand she felt like she needed to help Toni. Maybe it was because of how she was raised and these ideas about how Christians should help others. After living with Toni she knew her very well, her anger and how difficult it was to calm her. Sure, Toni had work on her issues it now it was far better, way calmer. Still, having people from her childhood, acquaintances, old friends and basically everyone asking her why she was still single would probably make her really angry and, honestly, she didn't trust Fatin and Leah, how were pretty well known for sneaking into bathrooms/closets to have sex, to help Toni calm down.

When she woke up next morning she had made her decision.

Toni had help her way more than she knew, seeing her being out, confident and proud truly inspired her. Her friend who prepared breakfast for her during her first hungover, who had spent hours doing photoshoots of her modeling her own designs without asking for a penny, take care of her when she was drunk, listening to her when she needed it basically supporting her in basically everything and being there to pick up the pieces when she fail.

"I'll do it but we have to talk " that was all she sent to Toni to let her know she would be her date to Martha's wedding.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, let's get this straight" Shelby said after spending all afternoon on what it was going to be serious meeting to arranged hers and Toni's story in Fatin words.

"That's gonna be hard" Leah joked.

"So fucking funny Leah" Toni said visibly annoyed.

"No, but seriously, guys this was to be realistic" Fatin put on some sense.

"We basically have the story, you shared an apartment during college, hated each other but became friends after a while because living away from home is hard and recently fall in love after… after what?" she had already run out of ideas.

"A snow storm? I got stuck in Toni's apartment and after a few days we realized it" Shelby proposed.

"That would be good if we weren't in New York were nobody gets stuck in a now storm because people are prepared" Leah.

"Then I don't know what to say either." Shelby said.

"Why does it have to be after some like exceptional thing? These happens all the time, people are in love with their friends and one day they start dating, that's it, no big deal" Toni said "She is hot, I'm hot and we are both gays so one day we were like ' lets date' and tha's all."

" Yeah, that's good." Fatin approved.

"Maybe don't say it like that thought, people are gonna think we were horny, had sex and started dating." Shelby pointed out.

"Hey! What's wrong with that? That is how Fatin and I started dating." Leah joked.

"There is nothing wrong just not the way I would do it" the blonde told her friend.

"Let's said we were hanging out, catching up after one of your works trips and I kissed you and we decide to give it a go, better?" Toni suggested.

"That sounds more like me, thank you Toni" Shelby said calmer.

"Great, now both of you out. Shelby and I have to talk" Toni said to the couple.

"Oh are you going to rehearse? You know make it seem real" Fatin laugh.

"Fuck off" the photographer said not really angry. When they left Toni sat down on the couch.

"Look I'm really grateful you are doing this, I owe you a big one, so I want you to be as comfortable as possible, to make it natural so you don't have to do anything you wouldn't do."

"Let's make a list" the blonde said while taking her phone out "do's and don'ts. Do. I don't mind holding hands or like cheek kisses, forehead kisses" she said.

"Cool, that is fine with me to. Can I like grab you by the waist o hang my arm around your shoulder? " the brunette ask carefully.

"We do that all the time, is natural to us" Shelby answered completely unbothered by the proposal.

"Here comes the tough part. Kissing, how do we feel about it?" She asked. "Small pecks?" Toni said.

"Fine with me, although we don't wanna be like Leah and Fatin." She laughed.

" No way dude that is just way too much." Toni said.

" I guess that's it" she spoke nervously.

"Is going to be fine, don't worry we will do great, everyone will ship us." the blonde joked.

Toni felt a bit surer about the whole fake dating thing after that afternoon. She felt better setting some boundaries, the last thing she would want to do is bother Shelby by doing the wrong thing. She knew the situation was weird but didn't to make her friend more uncomfortable that it already had to be, after all Shelby was helping her. Although she probably would do some explaining to Marty because if she was to date a girl like Shelby she wouldn't just give her "small pecks" or grab her by the waist, not specially when her friend had that ass that made everyone drool. But above all she respected Shelby and if she only felt comfortable with small pecks then small pecks it was.

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There was only a week left before the wedding so Toni decided to called Marty to give her the news, she had the feeling that her friend was gonna be pretty happy about it, she and Shelby had gotten along really well whenever Martha came to visit.

"So are you like fucking nervous?" Toni asked.

"A little bit, I'm really sure I want to marry Marcus that's why I need everything to be just how I planned." She explained.

"Yeah I think I get, is a big deal and you don't want bad surprises that is why I have to tell you something."

"Uh no" the girl on the other line wasn't sure at all about what to expect.

"Relax Marty is not big deal, is just that I have a date for your wedding. Is still kinda new, but I'm happy and I think you'll be happy too because you already love her." Toni explained briefly not wanting her best friend to have a heart attack or anything.

"Oh my god, tell me is Shelby" _What the fuck?_ Toni thought _how have she guessed?_

"Yes she is." The now New Yorker had to separate from her cell phone because of how loud Martha was shouting.

"That is great Toni, I'm so happy I can't wait to see you together I bet you make such a cute couple." Toni had to admit that she was a bit freak out about Martha being so happy because they were just pretending, once the wedding was over so was their relationship. _Oh fuck, I gonna break her heart when Shelby a I have to broke up_ she realized.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shelby arrived to Toni's house a bit earlier than they have arranged buy she had nothing to do and hanging out with her was always a plan she was up to.

"You are early" Toni didn't like when people were early or late, she did not want someone to arrive and for ger not to be ready and she hate having to wait for someone too.

"I know that is why I bring a bagel and coffee so you aren't mad at me." The blonde explained.

"I'm not mad is just that I have been exercising and I wanted to shower but since you came 20 minutes earlier then I don't have time to do so and now I stink and you are here." She explained, annoyed but calm.

"Go shower, I'll wait."

Shelby wait patiently for Toni to finish, she didn't know about what Toni needed to talk, and she was a bit worry. Maybe her friend didn't want her to be her date anymore, which would be kind of disappointing because she had already been shopping and was actually excited.

"I wanted to give you a heads up before Sunday. Apparently there are gonna be some people from my high school" Toni started.

"Okay, I was expecting that."

"The thing is that if you thought I was impulsive and angry at everything when we met, well, I was far worse in high school. You know, have a couple of fights, I even almost got kick out of the team" the brunette explained.

"I get it Toni, you have nothing to worry about" Shelby said while taking her hand in hers to comfort her.

She understood Toni, if she had a reunion now with her classmate from high school…well she basically would need to introduce herself again. Toni anger issues her not new to her, so she wasn't surprised or scare about a couple of fights.

"There is more, before I got adopted by Micaela and George I used to party a lot, like an unhealthy amount, so I might have some way to many blurred memories that other might remember better"

"How bad?"

"I mean, I don't really know. It went on for almost a year, so there could be some fucked up shit…I just wanted you to know because I have change I don't want you to change the way you think of me."

Toni looked tough and she was, she had been through a lot. Maybe that is also way she cared so much about the people she loved, because she had been alone for quite a long time. She believed her when she said she change because Shelby had seen it. They met when the were 18 and now ten years later she had seen the change. Her anger issues way more controlled, her patience was amazing, in general Toni took control of her life. 28 years old Toni had nothing to do with 17 years old Toni as the same way 28 years old Shelby was totally different to 17 years old Shelby.

"Okay, thank you for telling me honestly it means a lot for you to trust me like that. This won't change a thing Toni, I promised. Now, is there something more or we can go to cuddling while watching Netflix? You know if we want to look like a couple we will have to act like one." She joked.

"I already talk to you about Micaela and George, Dot, Nora and Rachel and you know Marty and Fatin so I thinks that's it" Toni answered feeling more relaxed now.

"Great, now come here, lets cuddle" she said before grabbing her arm to get her closer.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Wednesday, the wedding was on Sunday and they left on Thursday and Toni still didn't know what she was gonna wear. Unacceptable behavior if you asked Shelby.

"Do we really have to do this?" Toni asked.

"Come on grow up Toni, is your bestfriend wedding, and you have absolutely no clue of what to wear, I'm just helping you right here" Shelby spoke.

"Okay, but no dresses, something more like a jumpsuit or something on those lines, and nothing with glitter" the blonde rolled her eyes at those comments.

The clothes were he first thing she notice about someone, not in a judge way but she truly believed that what people worn on their everyday basis gave a clue about their personality. Toni liked to be comfortable, didn't care much about want people thought that so she didn't care that much about how she looked, Shelby was quite the opposite. When their first met Toni's everyday outfit was based on her black old vans, some jeans and a plain t-shirt or hoodie. It hadn't change much really. She surley had a much larger sneaker collection, that Shelby secretly kind of envy, jenas but also some cargos… her tops were pretty much the same, the only change was that now in some of her hoodies you could read something like "Balenciaga" or "Givenchy".

After looking through a couple of stores without any luck they were running out of options.

"Can we do somethin'? You stay there and I will choose a couple of outfits and saw some thing would fit you well please Toni trust me" Both of them were tired after spending the whole afternoon looking for something that Toni liked. Shelby had make a couple of suggestions that were quickly rejected.

"Okay fine, whatever" she groan.

Shelby chose a aqua jumpsuit, a simple garnet suit and a black one with a few print flowers that gave some color, it hasn't too much but it also wasn't something that Toni may have choose herself.

"Do I look good? I kinda of like it honestly" Toni asked her friend while she was trying on the las option.

Shelby couldn't help but to lick her lips and bite them subtly. It fit perfectly, in all the right places. The brunette seemed comfortable, swinging around looking in every mirror with that cocky smile. _That's fuckin hot_ Shelby though when Toni put her hand in the pockets and looked at herself in the mirror.

"I think this is the one Shebls, I just hope is not fucking expensive otherwise I would make you pay for it" joked returning back to the fitting room leaving Shelby speechless.

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"Okay bitches we have 18 hours of road ahead of us, how do we do this?" Fatin said once they were all in her car.

"We should divide right? So like four and a half hours each. How wants to go first?" The Texan asked.

"Me please, I need my beauty sleep, the sooner I finish the sooner I'll get to sleep" Fatin suggested, after her would go Shelby and then Toni and the last would be Leah.

Toni slept almost the whole way and only open her eye when they stopped to do the change from Shelby to Leah. She took the passenger seat, after half an hour trying to sleep, she gave up.

"You do realize you don't have to be up yet right?" the blue-eyed girl told her.

"I can't sleep."

"Nervous or more like excited? "Leah asked.

"A bit nervous honestly, I'm sensing there will be a lot of people I don't wanna see."

"Fatin is also feeling like that, she hasn't said but I notice."

"Of course, you do" Toni said noticing how Leah also seem a bit worried. "A penny for your thoughts"

"I don't even know if they are worth that much…"she answered clearly anxious.

"Come on, talk to me."

"I just don't know how to feel about seeing so many Fatin ex's, if you can call them that, in the same place. Is not jealousy but what of some of them are like, way better than me?" she finally admitted.

"Hey, Fatin loves you like crazy she barely can keep her hands away from you, honestly is almost disgusting. She wouldn't been with anyone else, she probably would be too busy eye fucking you to even look at someone else, let alone a man which are like 90% of her ex's. If it makes you felt better I wouldn't be to worry, most of them where older guys or fuckboys I don't think Marty has any reason to invited any of those guys to her wedding."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm not enough for her, she is this confident, sexy, determinate person y I'm a fucking mess" she spoke.

"You might feel like that, but it just isn't true. You're funny, smart, dorky and so beautiful Leah, I get that sometimes we aren't capable of see ourselves like that but I assure you that Fatin does see you like that." Toni tried to help her friend.

"I'm so stupidly in love with her, I have pretty much picture my whole future with her I can't see it differently I honestly can't." Leah explained.

"I get that"

Toni missed being in love, having that super close and comfortable relationship with someone, feeling you whole body exploit whenever she looks at you and seeing the same feeling in the other person eyes. She felt jealous whenever she watches Leah and Fatin in their own bubble like no one else mattered, like nothing else mattered.

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They arrived just in time to let their suitcase, change and go to the restaurant the had chosen to have dinner with the rest of the girls.

When they were getting there Toni grabbed Shelby's hand intertwining their fingers, she looked up to see her face and was received with a being smile and a little caress of her thumb.

"Look who is here!" Dot shouted from quite some feets from them still haven't enter the restaurant, when they got to her Fatin threw herself at her friends arms hugging her tightly. All of them hugged her until it was Shelby's turn.

"Dottie this is Shelby, my girlfriend" Toni introduced her.

They, surprisingly were the first ones there so they patiently waited for the rest to come. Rachel and Nora where next and finally Marty.

"I'm not mad, I just think is unfair that Toni and Fatin got to bring their plus one I didn't" Rachel said jokingly.

"Stop being such a pussy Rach, if you wanna take you partner to girl's night then get a motherfuckin' girlfriend, as easy as that." Toni answered her as she threw her arm around Shelby's shoulder.

"Aww guys, you make such a cute couple." Martha said really excited.

Shelby felt great, she was surrounded by strong, sweet and smart women, some of them being her closest friends. She was expressing freely were sexuality, even if it she was faking the relationship it felt way better than with her first boyfriend. They were laughing, talking and catching up with each other. That what as a teenager she craved, supporting people around her, who wouldn't judge her if she didn't said the right thing or acted how they expected her to do. It make her feel a bit sad that she never had that feeling growing up but it also make her even more thankful that she did now.


End file.
